Cassiopeia Prokle and the boy who lived
by thelostphoenix
Summary: Cassiopeia Prokle is no ordinary girl... Neighbor and best friend to the boy who lived and Daughter of a legendary curse breaker, her first year at Hogwarts is sure to be anything but ordinary  No pairings, first years are far too young to be dating.
1. The Best Birthday

Disclaimer - not mine, never will... if it was mine i would fill a tower with my earnings and swim in it like Scrooge McDuck

CASSIOPEIA PROKLE

AND THE BOY WHO LIVED.

CHAPTER ONE

THE BEST BIRTHDAY.

Cassiopeia Prokle lived in a normal house, on a normal street filled with normal people. The kind of street with a neighborhood watch, the kind of street where neighbors tried to out compete each other for the tidiest lawn with the most neatly cut grass, or the nicest car. It was a street filled with haves and neatness and normalness, which unfortunately Cassie was not.

Cassie was about as abnormal as you could be on a street like Privet Drive, because she had a secret, Cassie was a witch. She hadn't always known this, up until last year when her non magical mother had finally told her the truth she had just assumed she was a little strange, maybe lucky or maybe unlucky, only strange things seemed to follow her.

Today was July 15th, the first day of the summer holidays and most importantly Cassie's 9th birthday. She was very excited, today she was going to meet her father for the first time. Apparently her mother and father had decided (much as they had decided last year was an appropriate time to tell her she was a witch) that this was the year she would finally meet her father.

Cassie's father was a wizard, who lived (apparently) in Egypt working as a curse breaker. His whole family had been magical, although they were all gone now.

Cassie was sitting, Suitcase packed at the bottom of the stairs while her mother paced backwards and forwards down the hallway "how do you think he's gunna get here mum" Cassie asked excitedly, bouncing slightly in her seat.

"I have no idea" Cassie's mother snapped nervously "I haven't seen him since the day you were born, we always just wrote letters and sent photos after that" she continued pacing agitatedly.

"Oh I hope he gets here soon" Cassie sighed impatiently "I just want to get going already."

Her mother just looked at her nervously "you have packed everything your going to need right? Toothbrush? Enough underwear? Your father has no idea how to look after you, this is such a bad idea."

Cassie stared at her usually well put together mother, who currently looked as though she was bordering on a panic attack. "I'll be fine mum, no worries right" she smiled sweetly "besides, its only two weeks, I'll be back before you know it." She got up and gave her mother a hug "you'll see"

Suddenly there was a bang from the living room and both Cassie and her mother rushed in to see what was happening.

There in the middle of their lounge stood a stern faced man wearing some rather odd clothes. He had dark hair and steely blue eyes, and he was wearing a long black robe which reached the floor.

"Cassiopeia" he gave her a small smile, "Andrea" he turned and nodded towards her mother. "Are you ready to go then?" he looked over at Cassie. "All packed?"

Her mother looked scared, "Your sure you have everything cas?" she looked around nervously "your cellphone?"

"Yeeesss mum" Cassie rolled her eyes, "I will be fine, don't worry. I'm sure dad will take perfectly good care of me." She gave a glance towards the man who was apparently her father, nervous that for the first time ever she would be spending time with him, and not only time with him, they would be in Egypt, the furthest away from home she had ever been.

"Where is your luggage?" her father asked looking around the room.

"It's out in the hall" her mother chipped in, leading him out towards where her stuff had been left.

Her father reached into his robe and pulled out a long piece of wood which he pointed at her suitcase, and gave a flick towards the suitcases and Cassie watched in amazement as her suitcases shrank down to the point where they were so small they could be picked up and placed in a pocket, as her father did. He turned to her and held out his hand "We should go then."

Giving her mother a quick hug she turned to her father and took his hand. He turned in a circle on the spot and suddenly she felt like she was being sucked through a straw, before her feet thumped down on the ground.

The whole world was spinning, and Cassie fought the nausea, not wanting to throw up in front of her father, especially with it being their first meeting.

As the world stopped spinning Cassie took the chance to look around the room. It was a large golden atrium, with a giant fountain in the middle.

Catching her arm again her father led her towards an elevator, which they took downwards to a basement level.

They emerged in a room filled with random objects, looking around Cassie could see an old boot, a floppy disk, broken buckets and toys. It looked like a dump. A balding old man with grey hair and big bushy eyebrows looked up from his desk near the door "How may I help you today?" he spoke in a wheezy voice, looking the pair up and down.

"I need and international portkey to Egypt" her father spoke firmly, passing a sheet of paper across the desk to the man, looking quite bored.

After quickly reading the letter the man nodded, writing quickly in a book on his desk before reaching behind him into the pile of apparent rubbish and withdrawing a mangled old spoon and tapping it twice with his wand. "Here you go sir, I hope you enjoy your trip"

Cassie's father took the spoon and held it out towards her "This is a portkey" he spoke quietly, "grab hold of the other end quickly, we don't have much time"

Reaching out nervously Cassie took hold of the other end of the spoon and waited for something to happen. After about a minute of holding the end of the rusty spoon, and just as she was beginning to feel a little silly there was a sudden jerk from her navel and she was in the air, attached to the spoon and spinning, faster than she had ever imagined she could go.

It was over before she had even had time to blink, slamming down onto the dust covered floor of a large room.

Her father had somehow managed to land on his feet and he reached down to help her up with a crooked smile, "it takes a little while to get used too" he hauled her to her feet, "you will get used to it eventually"

Dusting herself off Cassie was sure that traveling by portkey was something she would never get used too, and something she didn't even want to get used too, although she decided it was probably wise not to tell her father this.

"This way" Her father led her to a door at the side of the room, as he opened the door she felt a wave of heat hit her and she flinched a little, "You will get used to that too" her father joked as they walked out into the sun.

"Armandious" a voice called from in the distance, and her father stopped and looked around, "Armandious, over here!" The owner of the voice was a tall, dark skinned wizard with hair cropped short and no beard, wearing a magenta robe. "Armandious" he panted, out of breath, "You wont believe what we have found" he paused "it's the find of the century." He looked past her father and his eyes landed on Cassie, a frown passing across his face. "Whos this?" he asked sharply.

Her father looked torn, "this is my daughter Cassiopeia" he spoke evenly "she's here for a bit of a holiday with me."

The magenta robed man continued to frown "No matter we need you right now."

They followed the man into a doorway, where he griped them both and turned in a circle with a pop, dragging them down the straw again and depositing them in a small chamber, with sand stone walls carved with symbols and shapes.

The men hurried ahead of her and she heard her father gasp loudly. Before them stood a giant door, carved with still more symbols, far more intricate than the ones in the previous chamber.

Her father glanced at her, looking torn and glancing around the chamber. His eyes fell on a young man. "Weasley" He bellowed, and a tall, gangly young man, with red hair dashed over to them.  
"Sir?" he questioned "what do you need?"

Her father looked pensive, "you have younger brothers and sisters don't you?"

Cassie's face fell as her father and the young man talked, her father handing the man her luggage and a bag full of, what she assumed was money as it clinked as it was passed over.

"Cassie" her father crouched down to look into her face "I'm really sorry, but this is the biggest find in 50 years." He sighed "I wish I could take you out but I can't, and I don't want you to be bored so Mr Weasley here is going to look after you for a bit"

She nodded solemnly "okay dad" she forced a smile onto her face and glanced at the man who her father was fobbing her onto, "I'm sure we will have loads of fun" she forced out.

Following the man out she had to choke back a sob, so much for this holiday. Here she was in Egypt, stuck with a man who probably hadn't had his nose out of a book for years… What fun.


	2. Mr Weasley

Disclaimer – Still not mine, If it was I would be charging you guys to read this rather than posting it for free :D

Chapter two

Mr Weasley

Mr Weasley led Cassie back outside into the blaring sun and heat, and into, what looked like a town completely made of canvas. Giant tents dominated the landscape, each with different decorations around the front. Cassie hadn't even realized she had paused until Mr Weasley coughed and gave her a small smile "come on" he spoke cheerfully "not far now."

The tent he led her too was slightly smaller than the others, with no decorations around its entrance. "This is the guest tent" he waved his arm in its general direction and reached over to grab the flap, holding it open so she could walk in.

What she saw inside stopped her in her tracks, the inside of the tent was much bigger than the outside showed. The tent was made of more than one room, filled with plush rugs and carpets and brightly colored furniture, flickering lamps not heating the room which somehow was very cool, almost as if the place was air-conditioned, although she was certain it was impossible to air condition a tent.

Mr Weasley had followed her in and was removing her bags from his pocket. He resized them with a flick of his wand and flopped casually down into one of the brightly colored cushions that littered the room.

"Right" he stated looking at her curiously, "so I'm William Weasley, but you can call me Bill" he held out his hand for her to shake, which she took warily, he had a very firm grip. "So what would you like to do first?" he asked her "visit the sphinx? The pyramids? Cruise the Nile? Visit the Valley of the Kings? Or maybe visit some beaches?" he watched her face noting that none of these things seemed to interest her, "we could always go hunting through some of the old tombs if you like?"

Cassie gasped "For real?" she asked excitedly, "you would really take me into tombs and stuff?"

Bill shrugged "Yea why not, we can always do all that tourist stuff later, let's go have some fun for now." He looked at her and waved his wand again, her clothes transformed into something resembling an old fashioned adventurer's suit, with tan colored shorts and shirt, and a helmet, although he had let her keep her sneakers they had changed color to match.

"Got a camera?" he asked and Cassie set off, rummaging through her bag and eventually pulling out a camera. "Sweet" Bill grabbed it and pointed it at her with a click. He then looked around again, grabbing a small pillow off a chair and changing it into a tan backpack which he placed the camera in and passed to her, before walking towards what Cassie assumed was the kitchen. Bill tossed her a water bottle from the fridge and nodded as she placed it in her bag. "I think we are ready to go then" he held his hand out to her "you don't mind being side along apparated?"

Cassie looked at him a little confused "is that the spin and squeeze?" she asked "I don't like it but I guess its okay"

Bill laughed a little at that, "I don't think there's a person out there who likes to be side along apparated Cas" he smirked, "it's just another one of those wizarding things you will get used to."  
Cassie just sighed at that and reached out to give bill her hand, feeling the same twisting sucking sensation as before.

They had emerged in a large antechamber, much like the one they had been in before with her father, with sandstone blocks making up the walls and figures and symbols carved into every spare space on the wall.

"This is a really old tomb" Bill explained "they finished breaking the curses on this one years ago" he looked around before pulling his wand out and muttering "Lumos." Light burst from the end of his wand, lighting the room all the way into the corners. Bill turned to her and offered his arm to her "Milady?"

Cassie giggled a little and took his arm "why thank you my good sir"

They walked together into the tomb, Bill pointing out where traps would have been and telling her about the curses.

By the end of the day Cassie was thoroughly exhausted and completely elated, they had trekked right through the tomb, narrowly avoiding a couple of booby traps that Bill had forgotten about.

They went to dinner in a communal hall, where all the Gringotts curse breakers were fed daily and Cassie found herself whisked off to dinner with Bill, before she even had a chance to realize her father wasn't there.

She found she was hungrier than she thought, tucking into a giant meal of spicy rice, seasoned with currents and meat kebabs, served with flat bread.

Men appeared all around her, sitting and chatting with Bill as he started to tell stories about his brothers.

"There was this one time" he started, having just downed a glass of firewhiskey "where my two brothers, who were about 5 at the time and are twins, managed to turn my youngest brothers teddy bear into a spider" he laughed "he's been horribly afraid of spiders ever since" he was silent for a moment, "Or there was that time they gave Ron an acid pop and it burnt a hole in his tounge, Or even the time where they tried to get him to make an unbreakable vow… came damn close too, dad spanked fred so hard for that one that he swears his left buttock has never been the same since."

Cassie giggled "they sound awesome!" she smiled up at Bill "I can't wait to go to Hogwarts and meet them."

"You will meet Ron too" Bill grinned at her "he's a bit Quidditch mad that one though" he paused thoughtfully for a moment, "Maybe I should take you home to meet them in one of the summers before you start Hogwarts? I'm sure Mum would love to have you."

Cassies eyes widened "Really?" she spoke excitedly "That would be sooooo cool, ive never gotten to go into a wizarding house before."

Bill just nodded and sent her off to bed "big day tomorrow" he called after her "get loads of sleep so you're ready"

The next morning Bill woke Cassie up early, "time to go" he muttered in her ear before vanishing into her tiny kitchen.

She hauled on some clothes and grabbed the backpack that Bill had transfigured for her the previous day, checking that her camera was still there and grabbing her water bottle to refill.

In the kitchen Bill was packing fillings into a bread that looked kind of like pita and wrapping them up in paper. "Toss those in your bag will you?" He asked her, not bothering to look back over his shoulder, "The tomb I'm taking you to today will probably take us all day to get through if that's okay?" he looked back to see her nod "awesome" he tossed her a pastry "eat up, then we can get going."

They apparated into the entrance way of another tomb, where many other wizards bustled about getting ready for their day "This one is still being explored" Bill explained, "I'm technically working today, but I thought you might enjoy coming along with this more than you would seeing boring safe stuff"

Cassie nodded excitedly and listened as Bill ran through some stuff about safety and showed her how to make the emergency sign with his wand "just in case something happens and I can't" he explained carefully.

Most of the day was uneventful, Bill, being a newbee on his 3 week of work was assigned one of the side passages, meant to lead to nowhere, and while there were curses to break, it was nowhere near as interesting as the central passages and chambers. Cassie watched, rapt with attention as Bill swished his wand and worked his way through various counter curses, explaining everything to her as he worked.

It was late afternoon when they broke into a chamber. Bill stopped puzzled, "this is unusual for a side passage" he told Cassie, "we will have to be extra careful"

They walked out into the middle of the room, Bill using the light from his wand to illuminate the walls and floors.

"CASSIE STOP" Bill yelled as she stepped towards one of the walls, But it was too late, her foot hit a button disguised in the floor and the floor crumbled beneath them, sending them plummeting into the darkness.


	3. Interviews with a Gryphon

Disclaimer – If I owned harry potter I would be living in the Bahamas… or in a castle… or in a castle in the Bahamas… but certainly not in a student flat in Dunedin NZ.

Chapter 3

Interviews with a Gryphon

It was dark that much she could tell. Cassie blinked a few times, raising an arm gingerly up to rub at her eyes, before slowly attempting to get up. "Bill?" she whispered, her voice cracking, and she wondered how long she had been unconscious. "Bill?" she tried again, louder this time.

Noone replied. Cassie could still feel the straps from her bag digging against her shoulders and opened it up, sipping slowly from her water bottle. She hoped they would get out of her soon, she wasn't sure how long her water would last, and they had eaten all their food at lunchtime.

Rummaging about in her back she felt something long, smooth and hard. Reaching in to grab it properly she pulled it out and felt it, it was a muggle torch, Bill must have packed it for her this morning, just in case.

She flicked it on and shone the light around the cavern, the remains of the collapsed floor lay all around her, and as she shone the light upwards she could see, about 3 meters up, the door they had come through, with no way of getting back up.

Shining the torch back on the floor again Cassie looked for traces of where Bill could have gone, and she found him, under some rubble which she pushed off his body. "Bill!" she shook him gently "please wake up Bill."

His wand was in the rubble to one side of him and she clutched it tightly in her hand trying to remember the spell he had taught her, but she couldn't. Kneeling down beside Bills unconscious form she buried her face in her hands, what would she do, she had no food and was almost out of water.

"I'll just have to find my own way out" she murmured "then I can bring people back to look for Bill."

Removing the water bottle and the camera from her bag she rolled it up and placed it beneath Bills head as a pillow, and removed her jacket and lay it over his prone form, it was fairly cold in the cavern, but as long as she kept moving she would be alright.

Pocketing the camera she stood up, water bottle in one hand and her torch in the other. She couldn't decide whether to take Bills wand or not, and eventually decided against it, after all she didn't really know how to use it anyway, and if he woke up he could use it to get help.

Cassie shone the torch around the walls, looking for some kind of way out and saw a statue which she walked over too. Behind the statue there was a small doorway "this must be the way the workers exited the tomb" she muttered to herself. She formed a pile of rubble into an arrow, just so Bill would know where she was if he woke up, then squeezed herself behind the statue and into the hole in the wall.

It was a tight fit, even for a small, 9 year old girl, but eventually she managed to get through and found herself in a small passageway, one she needed to crawl through. Crawling along on her hands and knees, her torch pushed along in front of her, she was glad the tombs had been sealed so long, there were no cobwebs, only a thick layer of sandy dust, which slowly wore away at her hands and knees, leaving them sore and grazed.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever, and after what seemed like hours opened out into a large room. Sitting at the edge of her tunnel, and sipping on her water bottle she looked around with her torch, she certainly couldn't see any signs of the sorts of traps that Bill had shown her before. There was a large door on the other side of the room, guarded by a miniature stone gryphon, about her chest height, which she slowly approached.

The dust started to shift from the gryphon as she got closer, and with every step she took it looked more and more alive until she was standing two steps away and it had everything but color. Reaching out her hand to touch the statue she felt a jolt, and color flooded it, the statue suddenly becoming animated and springing forward, placing a large paw on each of her shoulders and shoving her to the ground.

"WHO GOES THERE" bellowed the beast staring into her eyes "give me one good reason not to kill you" it growled, its voice harsh and gravely.

"Please don't" Cassie whimpered "I just want to get out so I can help my friend" tears were running down here cheeks.

The Gryphon looked her up and down before stepping back "But you are just a child" he spoke curiously "what is a child doing in these caverns?"

Cassie sat up and looked at it, tears still running down her cheeks, "I'm supposed to be on holiday with my father" she started "but he was really busy, so he asked this other man to look after me, and he had to come to explore this tomb, so I came with him" she tried to explain but the gryphon just looked confused.

"What year is it child?" he asked looking slightly worried.

Now it was Cassie's turn to look confused "Its 1989" she spoke slowly, not really understanding why it wanted to know.

"Oh damn it" cried the gryphon, causing Cassie to jump "Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn." He paced up and down the room, grumbling under his breath.

"I'm sorry mr" she paused unable to decide what to call him, and just continuing on "but what's wrong?"

Shaking his head the gryphon sighed "it's not you I'm angry at my dear," now that he was not angry his voice was almost melodic, although the faint graveliness was still there, "I was only supposed to do this job for 2000 years, but it seemed no one thought to wake me up." He looked around the room "well I spose I might as well let you take the treasure then" he gave her what she assumed must pass for a smile "after all you've earned it if you have gotten this far." He led her forward into the next room, where a sarcophagus lay surrounded by treasures and gold.

Cassie looked around the room in awe, reaching out and touching some pieces, staring at others.

She finally settled on a golden scarab beetle the size of her palm, inlaid with hundreds of tiny emeralds and rubies, and on a thick, solid gold chain.

"I will take this" Cassie told the gryphon, pulling the chain over her neck and tucking the pendant beneath her clothes, "The others can do whatever with the rest."

She turned around to look at the gryphon but the room seemed to blur and darken, vanishing before her eyes.

The world started to blur back into focus and Cassie blinked confusedly, she was standing in an entirely different room, one decorated richly, like the throne room of an ancient Egyptian palace, the sort she had only seen in pictures.

There were 4 female figures standing upon a raised platform, each with a throne behind them. One of them stepped forward, She looked down at Cassie and spoke in a voice that seemed to come from everywhere rather than just her.

"I am the goddess Isis," she spoke quietly, "And these are my companions, the goddess's Hathor, Bastet and Anuket" she gestured to each one in turn "You have been chosen for a great task, and as such we have been appointed as your guardians."

Another one, the one that had been called Bastet now stepped forward, with the form of a woman, and yet with the head of a cat. "You are so young" her voice rang out clearly "so young and yet you have so much to do before you even become an adult" there was a sad note to her voice "you will have much to learn and very little time to learn it" Bastet walked closer to Cassie and placed two fingers on her forehead "I give you the gift of learning" she whispered into Cassies ear, "You will learn everything you are taught without struggle or difficulty" she stepped back and gave a half bow "I wish you luck" she stepped back to her place.

The next goddess stepped up "I am the goddess Anuket" She spoke in an even voice "Your youthful years will not be easy, but you will have a happy and healthy adult life." She gestured at the goddess's Isis and Bastet, "we will help you and guide you as you need" she gave Cassie a small smile "Keep the scarab close to your heart, for it will guide us too you" she looked around frowning "I think you have been found, and it is time for us to leave you."

The room started to blur around Cassie again, and she blinked to find herself lieing on the cold stone floor, with someone shaking her gently "Cassie" Bills voice cut throught the darkness "Cassie wake up."

Startled she opened her eyes and sat straight up "Where's the gryphon" she asked Bill, blinking as she looked around the room, now filled with people.

"Gryphon?"Bill sounded surprised "what gryphon?" he looked around, "there wasn't a gryphon here when we got here" he stared concernedly into her eyes "maybe you hit your head." He helped her up and led her towards the door, "You're getting looked over by a healer straight away" he looked worried, "your fathers not going to like this."

Cassie was given a clean bill of health by the camps mediwizard, and taken back to her tent to rest. "I'm not allowed to take you anywhere dangerous now" Bill gave her a rueful grin, "I got a right telling off from your dad too."

The rest of the holiday passed uneventfully, with Bill showing her the sights and taking her to interesting places around Egypt.

It was with sadness that Cassie let her father take her home to England, sadness at not seeing Bill again, quite possibly for another year, and sadness that she couldn't tell her best friend, a muggle boy from next door at number 4, whose name was harry what she had really done, after all, you couldn't let a muggle know these things.


	4. Unwelcome News

Disclaimer – Still not mine, otherwise Disneyworld would be in my backyard (in Dunedin NZ? O_o) and I would live in Cinderella's castle

Chapter 4

Unwelcome News

The years had passed, as quickly as they do when you are a child, and the summer before Cassie's first year at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry was fast approaching.

It was a hot summer, Cassie had received her Hogwarts letter already, just before her birthday, and was now waiting for the letter from her father telling her what date he would be arriving to take her shopping for school things.

The fireplace in the living room flared green and Cassie jumped up from her seat on the couch, where she had been staring out of the window for a sign of her father's owl.

Out of the fireplace clambered Bill Weasley, a man who Cassie had come to think of as an older brother, or even a father since her own seemed to offload her onto him whenever she came to visit.

"BILL" Cassie threw herself and the tall, smiling, red head. "I've missed you so much."

He hugged her back, patting her head gently. "I missed you too squirt" he stepped back and took a look at her "You've grown again" he gave her a grin "Still not catching up on me though."

Cassie's long brown hair, highlighted by the occasional strand of red, was now down to almost her waist, tied up into a plait to keep it out of her way, except for two short bangs on either side of her face. Her eyes, a pale blue and flecked with green sparkled as she looked up at Bill excitedly. "What are you doing here?" she asked bouncing up and down, "i didn't think I would see you again before I went to Hogwarts!"

Bill winced "Yea, about that" he scratched the back of his head "I've got some bad news for you." He looked a little sheepish, "Your dad asked me to pass on his apologies, there's been a big discovery in Giza and he can't get away from it." He reached out to pull Cassie into a tight hug as her face fell "I'm so sorry squirt, and I wish I could take you shopping myself, but i'm not even authorized to hang about, I need to head straight back to Egypt."

Cassie stepped away from Bill, nodding sadly "I guess you should get going then" she moved to walk back with him to the fireplace, "wait", she stopped Bill as he reached into a pouch for what looked like a handful of dust, "How am I going to get my school stuff then?"

Bill gave her a small smile, "someone from the schools being sent to take you, like they do for the muggleborns." He reached into his pocket and grabbed a jingling bag of coins and a small key, "the coins are from me, the keys for your Gringotts vault" he handed them too her and seeing the confused look on his face added "Gringotts is a wizarding bank, the teacher will show you how to use it.

He gave her one last hug before tossing a handful of dust into the fireplace, stepping in and calling out "The Ministry" and in a flash of light, Bill, and all her hopes were gone, leaving her holding onto some coins, a key and her shattered dreams.


	5. The Boy Next Door

Disclaimer – This isn't mine, But sometimes It's nice to play in JK Rowlings pool and just pretend :D

Chapter 5

The Boy Next Door

Cassie wallowed in her disappointment for 2 days before hunting down her neighbour and best friend Harry for some company. Harry lived at number 4 Privet drive with his aunt, uncle and cousin, none of which seemed to like him that much, infact they seemed to treat him like some sort of servant.

It was because of this that Cassie decided it was her solemn duty to sneak Harry out of his Aunt and Uncles house as often as possible so they could go have fun somewhere. It was on one of these days, July 20th to be exact that, while Cassie and Harry were playing a video game in the living room of Cassie's house as they waited for her mums cookies to finish baking, that Cassie received her second letter from Hogwarts. It arrived discretely, flipping through the letterbox and landing on the doormat almost silently but Cassie was up like a flash, smuggling it away before there was a risk her friend could see it. "Just school stuff "she shrugged off when he asked what the letter was about.

It was that evening, once Harry had gone home that she allowed herself to open the letter, telling her a teacher would be arriving to take her shopping on July 31st. She wasn't entirely sure she could wait that long.

As Cassie's anticipation of the day built and she wanted more distractions, she was thwarted by Harry's family's sudden decision to go on holiday. It was confusing as he hadn't said he was going anywhere, but she shrugged it off annoyed, after all, Harrys Uncle was a scary crazy man and who knew why he did anything.

The morning of July 31st dawned bright and sunny, and Cassie was up bright and early waiting to be picked up. "MUM" she called running around the house, "Have you seen my green robes? You know, the ones dad gave me for my birthday?" She dug around in her draws, "I wanted to wear them today" moving over to her bed she lifted up the blankets and started searching the dark space under it.

"You mean this" her mum appeared in the doorway holding the robe, "it was in the drier" she handed it to Cassie who stuffed it into her bag, along with her pouch of wizarding gold and took the tiny key out of her jewellery box, staring at it as she wondered how she would keep hold of it. "Here," her mum removed a thin gold bracelet from the box and slipped the key onto it, "That should keep it nice and safe" she clipped it around Cassie's wrist gently.

Cassie beamed at her mum "Thanks Mum" She hugged her tightly, then pulled away and looked around once more, "I wonder when they will get here?"

It was two hours later when the knock on the door finally came, and she opened it to find a massive man, towering above the doorframe peering back in at her. "'Ello" he spoke in a deep voice "your Cassie then?"

Cassie just nodded, rendered speechless by this huge man, and grabbed her bag. "You teach at Hogwarts?" she asked in a small voice as she walked out the door into the bright summer sunshine.

The man scratched his head, "Nah, I'm the keeper of the keys and grounds at Hogwarts" He gave her a grin, "Me names Hagrid." The great man looked around before grabbing something from behind him and pulling it around "And this 'ere is"

"HARRY" Cassie cried flinging herself at him and hugging him tightly, before looking at him lightly confused, "you're a wizard?"

He was looking at her just as stunned, "and you're a witch?" They both burst into laughter "This means we do get to go to the same school in the end anyway" Harry grinned at her.

"Yea" Cassie added, "This is going to be SO AWESOME" she did a little twirl on the spot before grabbing Harrys hand and turning to the bemused Hagrid "Come on then" she gave him a little smirk "don't we have some place to be?"


	6. Diagon Alley

Disclaimer – I don't own harry potter but if I did I would have my very own pastry chef to cook me all sorts of delicious goodies whenever I wanted.

Chapter 6

Diagon Alley

Hagrid led the pair to the train station, before handing them some muggle money and asking them to pay for tickets. The Trip to London was uneventful, although the trip on the London underground was eventful, with Hagrid complaining loudly about the seats being too small, and the trains being too slow.

They got off and wondered out into London, following Hagrid as he led them down winding streets looking shadier and shadier. "Can we really buy our school stuff here around here?" Harry asked, looking around, as though he expected to see magic wands or shops selling wizards robes somewhere nearby.

"Not far now" Hagrid led them to a dirty looking little pub and Cassie looked up at the name, "The leaky cauldron?" she asked "don't the muggles thing a name like that's weird?"

Hagrid just shook his head and held the door open for them "Them muggles don't look do they"

Inside the pub it was very dark and shabby looking. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, moving Cassie in front of him and clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.

"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this — can this be —?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter…what an honour." He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes. "Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."

Cassie stood in shock, there were all these people who all seemed to know harry, was he famous, They were all shaking his hand and acting like it was some great honour to meet him. How could Harry be some kind of celebrity, he had lived next door to her for as long as she could remember.

Realising this might be going on for a while she pulled of her light summer cardigan and pulled her wizarding robe on over the top of her tee shirt, wanting to look the part.

Eventually a pale young man made his way forward towards them very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Cassie, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you," he nodded briefly Cassie's way before turning back to Harry.

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.

"Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry, Cassie"

Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Hagrid grinned at Harry.

"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"Is he always that nervous?" Cassie asked, a little confused

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience…They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's me umbrella?"

As Cassie watched Hagrid counted the bricks before leaning forward "Stand back you two" he told them before tapping the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. The brick that he had touched gave a little wiggle, before a hole opened up, growing wider and wider until they stood in a high archway, looking out onto a long street.

Hagrid looked back at them with a massive grin at their shocked faces "Welcome" he said "To Diagon Alley"

They walked down the street, and Cassie couldn't decide where to look, there were apothecary's and stores selling magical books and robes and even a store selling broomsticks, which she noticed caught Harrys eye.

"Where are we going Hagrid?" asked Harry, confused "Don't we have to buy our school things?"

Hagrid shook his head, "Ya need your money to buy your school stuff 'Arry" he said "and Gringotts wizarding bank is this way"

Cassie was looking forward to this, after all, her father worked for Gringotts, as did Bill, and she had heard all sorts of interesting stories about the place and the goblins that ran it.

"Now you two" Hagrid looked at them both "Be carefull what you say in Gringotts, the goblins can be a touchy sort"

"Goblins?" Harry exclaimed, "they exist?"

Cassie nodded at him. "Dad works for Gringotts, he says they are really annoying, always getting in the way of his work" she paused thoughtfully, "i spose he really doesn't like 'anything' to get in the way of his work" she sighed.

Harry put his arm around her shoulders, "you have me now" he smiled "we can be each others family"

Cassie smiled and they walked together through the doors into the bank, but encountered another set of doors, this time silver and engraved with words which read:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

Hagrid led them through this second set of doors and across a large room, filled with goblins doing many things like weighing gold and jewels or writing to a goblin who looked to not be busy.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta the vaults of Mr. Harry Potter's nd Miss Cassiopeia Prokle ."

"You have the keys, sir?"

"Got Arry's here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Cassie and Harry stood to one side and watched watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order." He turned to Cassie, "and yours"  
Cassie reached for the tiny gold chain around her wrist and held it out for the goblin to inspect. "Daddy sent it to me when he told me he couldn't make it" she whispered at harry, "said it was my vault and I can spend what I want" she grinned widely before turning back to the goblin.

The goblin peered at it closely and nodded.

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

The goblin read the letter carefully. "Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to all vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he Cassie and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

Harry and Cassie looked at each other, curiosity echoed in each others eyes, "must be something really cool" Cassie whispered.

"Yea" Harry whispered back, as they followed Hagrid and the Goblin "bet it's going to be something cool though."

Griphook held the door open for them and Cassie who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.

At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Cassie whooped and threw up her arms, "this is better than any rollercoaster" she called to Harry who grinned at her. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.

Cassie tried to look at everything as they rushed deeper into the earth. Once, she thought she saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late — they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.

"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"

"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."

He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling. "this one's yours arry" he smiled shakely.

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

Cassie looked into the Vault in shock, there was so much. Why, Harry must be rich yet he had been no better than a servant to his aunt and uncle for the past 11 years, it just didn't seem fair.

Hagrid and Cassie helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Now Miss Prokles vault please"  
The cart sped onwards, through even more dark caverns before stopping at another door identical to the last one. Gripping her key tightly in her hand Cassie walked over and unlocked the door.  
Before her lay a small mountain of coins, nothing compared to Harrys but still much, much more than any person her age would possibly need.  
After Cassies money bag was also filled to brimming and her door shut, Hagrid sighed, "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook.

They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Cassie watched Harry lean over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.

Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.

"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.

"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked, echoing Cassie's curiosity.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.

Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Cassie was sure, and after a shared glance both she and Harry leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least — but the vault looked empty. Then she noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. She and Harry shared another glance, this time confused. Cassie longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.

"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't neither of you go talkin to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts, money bags filled to the brim and ready to go buy all the amazing things they had seen whilst walking down the street towards the bank.

"Might as well get yer uniforms," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, kids, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so they both entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, and nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dears?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young couple being fitted up just now, in fact." She steered harry in one direction towards the back of the shop and Cassie off towards another woman who was measuring up another girl. The woman signalled for Cassie to hop up on another stool beside the girl, so she did, giving her a shy smile. The girl was a petite like her, with fine features and long blond hair, almost long enough that she could sit on it if she tried. "Hi" Cassie said, "My names Cassie, are you a first year at Hogwarts too?"

The other girl nodded, "i'm Amiera" she paused "Any idea what house you will be sorted into yet?" she asked "I bet I'm in slytherin, all my family goes into slytherin." She pulled a face "lots to live up too I guess."

Cassie just smiled at her, "to be honest I don't really have a clue, I mean my father was a slytherin but my mother wasn't, so really your guess is as good as mine."

Cassie glanced over at Harry, who didn't seem to be so happy with the boy he was talking with.

Looking out of the window Cassie saw Hagrid standing outside holding three ice creams and waving. "I hope this doesn't take too much longer" she said to Amiera, "I don't want my ice cream to melt"

Amiera had a slightly puzzled look on her face, "who's he?" she asked

"Oh" Cassie smiled, "Thats Hagrid, He works at Hogwarts. Dad didn't have time to take me shopping and mums a muggle so didn't know how"

Amiera looked a little shocked at this and went silent.

"Thats you done honey" The lady said to Cassie and she Jumped down from her stool and found Harry waiting by the counter for her. They both paid for their uniforms and quickly left the shop

Harry was quiet as he ate his ice cream

"What's up?" said Cassie asked "you've gone all quiet."

"Nothing," Harry said quickly, changing the subject. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry seemed to cheer up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed colour as you wrote. When they had left the shop, He asked, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry telling them about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.

"— and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —"

"Yer not _from _a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh _were _— he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"

"So what _is _Quidditch?"

"It's a sport." Cassie pitched in, "played up on broomsticks, It's pretty awesome to watch" She turned to Hagrid for more information.

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules."

"And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.

"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."

"Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

"My dad was in Slytherin" Cassie stated glumly, "it really doesn't sound that great but apparently it's in my blood." That sort of ended the conversation.

They bought their school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Cassie bought a book on wizarding practical jokes _pranking for beginners (a comprehensive guide to frustrating just about anybody). _Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from _Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) _by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."

Hagrid wouldn't let Cassie buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they both got nice sets of scales for weighing potion ingredients and collapsible brass telescopes. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for the pair, Harry examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each while Cassie stared at the minuscule glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked their lists again.

"Just yer wands left — A yeah, Arry, I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."

Cassie smirked as Harry went red.

"You don't have to —"

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at — an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys.

Cassie had taken one look at Harrys new owl and gone and bought herself one too. "I really need one for sending letters to Bill" she explained. Her owl, unlike Harrys was a barn owl and she couldn't stop looking at it.

"Come along you two" Hagrid called "just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."

A magic wand…this was what Cassie had been really looking forward to.

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Cassie glanced around nervously while Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library. They looked around at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of Cassie's neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Cassie jumped, noticing in the corner of her eye that Harry also did the same. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question.

Cassie sighed over being ignored again.

"You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry, Staring intensly at him. Cassie found herself feeling quite glad at this point that the intense eyes were not focused on her.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. "And that's where…"

Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands…well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"

He shook his head and then, spotted Hagrid.

"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again…Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.

"Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.

"But you don't _use _them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.

"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Cassie noticed in the corner of her eye that he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er — well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

Cassie watched in shock as she realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Harry took the wand and waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"

Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

Harry tried. And tried. Cassie had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand Ollivander was offering. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well…how curious…how very curious…"

He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious…curious…"

"Sorry," said asked Cassie, "but _what's _curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed her with his pale stare and she shifted uncomfortably"

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, My dear. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in Mr Potters wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that he should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave him that scar."

Cassie's eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."

Harry shivered. He didnt seam like he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander finally turned to Cassie, "Miss Prokle I assume," he frowned slightly "I hope I don't have as much trouble placing you with a wand as your father was."  
Cassie felt a little scared as Ollivander started moving around, a small stack of boxes appearing on the counter before her "do I have to try all these" she wondered out loud.  
But the first wand she tried wasn't good enough, nor the second, nor the third. The pile of rejected wands grew larger even than Harrys had been as one by one Ollivander eliminated possible choices.  
"Maybe you need something different" he mumbled to himself pensively "maybe I should try that one." He disappeared again, deep into the bowels of his store to return holding a single battered old box, yellowed with age and slightly squashed, as though the weight of wands piled on top of the box had become too much.  
"This wand is special" he stared piercingly at her, "a friend to Harry Potter may indeed need a special wand" he removed the wand gently from the box and passed it to her. Warmth spread straight through her finger and as she swished the wand about a stream of rainbow lights and golden confetti spread from the tip. "That wand," Ollivander paused again, "that wand was created by my great, great grandfather over 100 years ago. A seer told him what should be created and he followed her wish, passing it down through the family until it has come to you. A friend to Harry potter may also do great things" he nodded thoughtfully "that wand comes from an apple tree, and contains not one but two cores, the single tail hair of a unicorn, and a feather from a gryphon." He turned to Harry "keep this one close boy"  
Cassie payed her 9 gold galleons for her want and they left as Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry, Cassie and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Neither Cassie nor Harry spoke at all as they walked down the road; Neither even noticed how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap and a barn on Cassie's. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Cassie only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped her on the shoulder.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.

He bought Harry a hamburger and Cassie some chips and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Cassie woke up with the food and started chatting happily away with Hagrid about her time in Egypt.

"You all right there, Harry? Yer very quiet," Hagrid asked during a break in the conversation.

Harry looked pensive, "Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander…but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died."

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.

"Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact."

"Yea Harry" Cassie chipped in, "I don't know any magic at all either, plenty of time for that once we get to school" she smiled sweetly, " besides who cares what the others think, you still have me."

Hagrid helped them both on to the train that would take them back to Little Winging, then handed them each an envelope.

"Yer tickets fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys Harry and you just send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me…. See yeh soon, Kids."

The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; Cassie watched as he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, Only turning back when Hagrid was no longer in view.

"Wow" Harry sighed leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed "What a day"

"Yea" Cassie agreed, feeling slightly overwhelmed as she watched out of the window, staring out at the world she had just realised she would be leaving behind. "What a day."


	7. The Train

Disclaimer – I don't own Harry Potter, If I did I would probably be somewhere tropical sipping piña coladas rather than in a cold student flat.

CHAPTER SIX

THE TRAIN

As the summer drifted onwards Cassie spent time with her mother, knowing quite well that soon she would be at school and not seeing her for months on end. Cassie lived with her mother in a house near identical to that of the Dursleys. Her mother, however sweet, wasn't the smartest woman around, and spent most of her days shopping for clothes and baking. And so it was over this month that Harry and Cassie often found themselves in Cassie's room, with a plate of whatever her mum had baked that morning, poring over their new Hogwarts books. It was in one such book, _A History of Magic, _that Harry found a name for his new owl. Hedwig.

While Cassie failed to find any names she liked in her school books for her owl, and eventually settled on Archimedes, after the owl from the Disney movie Sword in the Stone.

On September first Cassie packed up her new school trunk, loaded it into her mums car and set off to Kings Cross station in London. After a quick hug and kiss to her mum she set off, ready to start her new life as a witch at Hogwarts.

Looking around Cassie caught a glimpse of harry standing around looking lost. "Harry" she called out, waving her arm in the air, "over here."  
Harry walked over to her, pushing his trolley ahead of him, Hedwigs cage perched precariously on top of his trunk. "Hey Cas" he gave her a smile, "you have any idea where we are meant to go?"

Cassie shook her head, tears appearing in her blue eyes, "I always thought dad would be here with me" she fought not to dissolve completely into tears "I can't believe he couldn't make it."

Harry tried asking a guard for a train that left at 11 O'Clock, only to be told there wasn't one, and now Cassie was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, they had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and neither of them had any idea how to do it; they were stranded in the middle of a station with trunks they could hardly lift, pockets full of wizard money, and a two owl.

At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and Cassie's head turned as she caught a few words of what they were saying.

"— packed with Muggles, of course —"

They swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Cassie's in front of him — and they had an _owl_.

Heart hammering, Cassie turned to Harry, "Come on" she hissed, "we have to follow them."

They pushed their carts after them. When the family stopped and so did they, just near enough to hear what they were saying.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go…"

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Cassie watched, rapt with attention and careful not to blink in case she missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you _tell _I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it?

Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

Harry looked as confused as she felt, "I think that's Mrs Weasely" Cassie whispered, "I heard she's really nice, you should ask her."

Taking Cassie's prompt they pushed their carts over. "Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.

"Hello, dears," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

"Yes," said Harry. "The thing is — the thing is, We don't know how to —"

"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Cassie nodded.

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on now, both of you, go now before Ron."

"Er — okay," said Harry.

Cassie sent Harry a pleading look and he sighed. She watched as he took a deep breath and pushed his trolley towards the barrier, slowly picking up speed before... vanishing into the wall.

Cassie pushed her trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and pushed her trolley straight ahead, straight through the wall as if it were nothing. Opening her eyes she saw a scarlet steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said _Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock_. Cassie looked behind her and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters _on it, Harry grinned at her, they had done it.

Watching harry stare open mouthed at the platforms going cassie spared it a quick glance. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats.

"Well I Suppose we should find some seats then" Cassie suggested, and together they pushed their carts off down the platform to find an empty carriage. They passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh, _Neville_," Cassie heard the old woman sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

"Give us a look, Lee, go on."

The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.

They pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Cassie took both owls into the compartment first and then they both started to shove and heave Harry's trunk toward the train door. Harry tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins they'd followed through the barrier.

"Yes, please," Harry panted.

"Oi, Fred! C'mere and help!"

With the twins' help, both Harry and Cassie's trunks were at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.  
"Thanks," Cassie smiled sweetly at the twins "very kind of you."

"Yea thanks," Harry agreed, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you —?"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry.

"_Harry Potter_." chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am."  
"But I thought you two were brother and sister" the first twin seemed somewhat confused.

"Neighbours actually" Cassie put in with a smirk

The two boys gawked at Harry and Cassie just sat back and watched as he turned red. Then, to both of their relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mom."

With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down opposite Cassie, next to the window, and Cassie watched him peering out watching the red headed family on the platform, but hidden from their view. The mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"_Mom_— geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now."

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Cassie could see a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter _P _on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —"

"Oh, are you a _prefect_, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once —"

"Or twice —"

"A minute —"

"All summer —"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a _prefect_," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's _not funny_. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Cassie smirked at Harry as he quickly leaned back, making sure he was right out of veiw.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"_Harry Potter_!"

Harry heard the little girl's voice.

"Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please…"

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there — like lightning."

"Poor _dear _— no wonder there weren't any parents, I did wondered. But he was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."

"_George!_"

"Only joking, Mom."

The train began to move. Harry and Cassie watch as the boys' mother waved and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she too fell back and waved.

They watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Cassie felt a great leap of excitement. She was finally on her way, finally part of a world she had only ever been a visitor in before.

"We're going to Hogwarts" Cassie squealed, bouncing in her seat. "OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh"

Harry just smiled at her, and she knew he knew exactly how she felt.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat next to Cassie. "Everywhere else is full."

Cassie and Harry both shook their heads and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron."

The twins were back.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."

"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

Cassie sighed theatrically. "Mention he's Harry Potter and everyone forgets i exist" she muttered glaring out the window "just fantastic." She turned to Ron and held out her hand "Cassiopeia Prokle"  
Ron shook her hand before turning back to Harry.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" he blurted out.

Harry nodded.

"Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know…"

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who —?"

"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well — I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.

"Er — Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you must know loads of magic already." Cassie chipped in.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Horrible — well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff — I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

"I know Bill" Cassie said quietly, look at Ron, "or at least i think i do." Ron looked up at her in shock. "He looks after me when I go back to visit my dad in Egypt, Dads usually too busy to look after me himself, and figured if Bill had younger brothers and sisters then he could look after me"

Ron nodded, "Makes sense" he said thoughtfully, "I think he might have mentioned you last Christmas when he came to visit."

He still looked a little glum though so while Cassie sat staring out of the window absentmindedly Harry started telling him stories of his childhood, of the handmedowns and lack of presents and this seemed to cheer Ron up a little "…and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort —"

Ron gasped.

"What?" said Harry.

"_You said You-Know-Who's name!_" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people —"

"I'm not trying to be _brave _or anything, saying the name," said Harry sounding a little confused, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn…I bet," his face fell a little, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"Sorry Harry but your gunna have to fight me for that title" Cassie grinned widely, "see my dad's a wizard and I don't know anything either. "

Ron glanced between them "neither of you will be. There are loads of people who come from Muggle families, they learn quick enough."

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, with Cassie close behind, pulling money from her pockets, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches.

Cassie who very rarely got wizard sweets was keen for whatever she could get her hands on, but harry seemed a little confused as he stared at the cart, before buying some of everything. Cassie quickly bought a pumpkin pastie for lunch, a cauldron cake, and some chocolate frogs before going back to sit down.

Ron stared as Harry brought all his goodies back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat, while Cassie just giggled at the look on his face.

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on —"

"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."

"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with.  
"Take one of my chocolate frogs too" Cassie put in, "I bought way more than i can eat"

It was a nice feeling, sitting there as a group, Cassie thought, slowly eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not _really _frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.

"No," laughed Cassie, "of course not"  
"But see what the card is." Ron chipped in "I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?" Harry looked incredibly confused

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

Harry unwrapped his chocolate frog and stared at the card. "So _this _is Dumbledore!" he exclaimed.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —"

Cassie bit the head off her own frog as she watched harry examine his card

"He's gone?" He seemed shocked by this revelation

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her…do you want it? You can start collecting."

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.

"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. _"Weird!" _

"Dont worry Harry" Cassie beamed at him, "you will get used to it all in no time."

Harry stared at the cards, but Ron and Cassie were more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards.

Soon Cassie was bored with the frogs, and grabbed a box of Harrys Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans "what about these" she asked Ron.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned her. "When they say every flavor, they _mean _every flavor — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.

"Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."

Cassie poured some beans into a chocolate frog box and looked at them thoughtfully before plucking out a yellow coloured bean, nibbling on a corner and shuddering "yucky" she winced, "sand" she started wiping at her tongue with her hand, "it's even gritty and stuff."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Cassie eventually tried other beans and managed to get chocolate, bread, rice, grass, steak and ketchup. Harry was even brave enough to try a funny gray one neither Ron nor Cassie would touch, which turned out to be pepper.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy they had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," said Harry.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"

He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a couple of girls with him. Both were already wearing there new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," said the first one. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth, the second with cappuccino coloured skin and wavy black hair hung back quietly, looking shy.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Cassie, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in Ron's hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er — all right."

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She said all this very fast.

Cassie looked at Harry and Ron, and was relieved to see by their stunned face that they hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Cassiopeia Prokle" Cassie nodded in her direction.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History _and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

"Am I?" Harry looked a little dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the quiet dark skinned girl and the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw _would _be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"At least it's not your family tradition to be in Slytherin" Cassie grumbled.

"And that's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take both Ron and Cassie's minds off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway Ron?"

Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Egypt doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the _Daily Prophet_, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."

Cassies head jerked up from where she had been staring at the floor.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

"No shit?" Cassie seemed surprised "wow who would have thought"

They sat in a sort of awkward uncertain silence for a while before Ron broke the silence. "So What are your Quidditch teams?" he asked.

"Mines the harpies" Cassie said with a grin, Ron nodded thoughtfully turning to look at Harry.

"Er — well I don't know any." Harry confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game, while Cassie dozed against the window, when the compartment door slid open yet again startling Cassie back out of her light doze, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys and one girl entered, and both Harry and Cassie recognized the middle girl and boy at once: it was the pale boy and girl from Madam Malkin's robe shop. The boy was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry.

Cassie looked nervously at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is my sister Amiera and that's Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy waved his hand carelessly, noticing where Cassie was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Cassie rolled her eyes at Amiera as both Harry and Ron stood up and glared at Malfoy.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry and Cassie Cringed a little, those boys were much bigger and it didn't seem like the best idea to get in a fight before they even made it to school.

"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle — Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, the three boys disappeared at once but Amiera hung back "i'm so sorry" she murmured, "there's just no helping him" and with that she turned on her heal and left. Perhaps perhaps the boys had thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, but a second after Amiera walked out of the compartment, Hermione Granger walked in.

"What _has _been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."

And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained to both Cassie and Ron about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

Cassie started rummaging in her trunk and pulled out a set of robes, waiting for the girl to move.

"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Cassie peered out of the window. It was getting dark. She could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

Grabbing her robes from her bag Cassie Dashed off to find a bathroom while Harry and Ron changed in the compartment.

Just as Cassie made it back to the boys a voice rang out through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Cassies's stomach lurched with nerves and she could see both the boys were nervous too, Ron looked pale under his freckles and Harry was even more pale than usual, if that was even possible. They all crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and together they joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Cassie?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Cassie thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Cassie and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville, the toadless boy.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	8. The Sorting

Disclaimer- I dont own harry potter (obviously) If i did i'm sure i would be be living the vida loca somewhere awesome... or something .

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE SORTING HAT

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Cassies's first thought was that she seriously did not want to be on this witches bad side, she looked scary.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Cassie's house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Cassie could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Cassie started playing with her braided hair, nervously checking it, did it need to be redone?"

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. Cassie let out a soft breath.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked, looking between Ron and Cassie.

Ron shrugged weakly "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Cassie just shook her head, her eyes wide and her heart beating quickly "I hardly know dad, I never even though to ask him." She scuffed her foot on the floor anxiously, what if she failed? Could she really go back to her muggle life?

Cassie kept her eyes glued to the door. It wouldn't be long now until Professor McGonagall would come back and then she would know for sure.

Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air and let out a small yelp of surprise — several people behind her actually screamed.

"What the —?" harry gasped

Cassie's mouth hung open. People around her were all making noises of shock . About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Cassie slipped her hand into Harry's "friends no matter what?" she whispered anxiously as they headed towards the door "promise" she said again "no matter where we are sorted"

Harry gave her a tight, nervous smile and squeezed her hand "no matter what" he promised.

Cassie slipped into line between Harry and Ron, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Even her time in Egypt had not prepared Cassie for such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Looking upwards Cassie gasped, the ceiling above them was black and dotted with star. She heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Cassie quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Her mother would have kittens if she ever saw something like that, Cassie suppressed a nervous giggle at the thought of her mother burning the hat for being a fashion crime.

Looking around and noticing everyone else in the hall was staring at the hat Cassie followed suit, wondering what everyone was waiting for. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Cassie and Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Harry smiled weakly and Cassie sighed with relief. Trying on a hat would be easy, after all the hat saw what was inside you right? Not what was inside your parents or your parent's family?

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause —

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Blowitz Shoshanna!" The Darker skinned girl who had been on the train with Hermione stepped forward and was sorted into

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, and "Brown, Lavender" became the second new Gryffindor.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. And Cassie began to feel a little ill, the Slytherins really looked unpleasant, she really didn't want to get stuck with them.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Cassie noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

Cassie began to panic, what if she wasn't supposed to be here? What it having a muggle mother meant she wouldn't be chosen for any house and would be sent home?

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Draco Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself and sat down with a space next to him, obviously saved for his sister.

"Malfoy, Amiera!"

The blond girl steped resignedly up to the stool. The hat seemed to take much longer sorting her than it had her twin although it was just a few moments.

"GRYFINDOR!" The hat called.

There was total silence, Malfoy choked on the mouthful of drink he had just taken as the Slytherin table broke out into whispers.

Amiera looked up startled and practically ran to the Gryffindor table, Moving to sit next to the dark skinned girl Shoshanna and offering her a scared smile as the entire Gryffindor table stared her down.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon"…, "Nott"…, "Parkinson"…, then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"…, then "Perks, Sally-Anne"…, and then, at last — "Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Cassie had a feeling this was going to get old fast. She craned her neck to watch as the hat dropped over Harrys eyes. It seemed to take forever as she waited with baited breath to find out which house Harry would be placed in.

Finally the hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table broke out in cheers, with the Weasley twins chanting "We got Potter! We got Potter!" She watched as Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff they had seen earlier.

And now there were only five people left to be sorted, Cassie shifted from foot to foot anxiously while she waited to see which name would be called next.

Suddenly "Prokle, Cassiopeia" was called.

Cassie walked quickly towards the stool and sat down carefully. The hat slid down over her eyes and she heard a voice in her ear "Oh my" said the hat in her ear. "You're a difficult one, far more difficult than even that Potter boy."

Cassie didn't know what to say, "Please don't make me go home" she begged the hat in her head "Please let me stay."

The hat almost seemed to laugh, "Oh my dear" it spoke again into her ear, "you most certainly deserve to be here" it paused slightly "the problem is where to put you, you could belong in any house quite easily" it almost seemed to frown "except maybe Hufflepuff, you're too smart for a Hufflepuff"

Cassie smiled at that "Well if it helps" she suggested tentatively, "I would rather not be in Slytherin" she thought for a moment, "you could put me in Gryfindor with Harry?" she asked nervously.

"You are loyal young one," the hat spoke finally, "and brave. I will place you in Gryfindor and you will do well there."

"Gryfindor" The hat yelled out to the hall, and there wasn't any clapping as she stood up on her shaking legs. Even the teachers looked shocked. Apparently no one usually took that long with the hat.

Cassie handed the sorting hat to Professor McGonagall and walked over to the Gryffindor table amid the flurry of whispers from all the tables, and took a seat in between Harry and one of the Weasely twins.

"Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Cassie stared down at her golden plate, She was here, finally, she had made it.

The twin beside her nudged her and flicked his eyes up to the head table, she followed his gaze and saw Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Cassie wasn't sure what to think.

"Is he — a bit mad?" she heard harry ask Percy uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?" His attention had now switched to the boy who lived.

Cassie's mouth fell open as she realised that while she had been distracted the table had filled with food. The dishes in front of them were now piled high with food, mountains of dishes of all variety's, chicken, beef, pork and fish. There were sausages and mash, chicken legs, juicy looking steaks of beef and vegetables of every sort, all glistening with sauces, illuminated by the many floating candles within the hall.

Grabbing some of her favourite things Cassie filled her plate and started talking to the twin beside her "Your Bills brother right?" she asked, taking a bite of the chicken sandwich she had assembled from the food.

The boy's mouth dropped open (which wasn't exactly attractive as he had just taken a mouthful of food). "How'd you know Bill?" he asked in shock.

Cassie smirked, "he looked after me in the holidays, but he always told me stories about you and your twin" she paused for dramatic effect before bowing as deep as she could at the table and saying "oh master of pranks, please teach me your art." She peered through her long eyelashes at the boy, who seemed to be struggling not to laugh.

"The day you can tell me and my twin apart, we will teach you" he smirked confidently "we will see how long that takes"

Going back to eating and chatting comfortably with the twin about her summers in Egypt and Bill, she jumped when all of a sudden she saw the ghost at the table pull his head almost right off his neck "eeek" she almost jumped onto the twins lap in her shock, blushing and shifting properly back into her seat she started to listen into the conversation the other first years were having with the ghost

"So — new Gryffindors!" The ghost said cheerfully "I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable — he's the Slytherin ghost."

Cassie followed the eyes over to the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Cassie was pleased quite pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…

As Cassie helped herself to a decent serving of chocolate éclairs and jam donuts, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed while Cassie just nodded, "I'm half and half too, Dads a pureblood, had a small affair with my mum and had me, almost got disowned for it too." Cassie felt a little weird telling other people this but the conversation quickly moved onwards.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me — he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned — but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced — all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

On the other side of the table, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult —"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing — "), while The two girls, Shoshanna and Amiera were talking quietly to themselves.

Cassie, now beginning to get quite tired, was struggling to keep up with conversations and was just watching the high table. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

Harry, wondering what she was looking at looked up at the table also "Ouch!" he clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" asked Cassie, concerned.

"N-nothing."

Cassie just left it at that and went back to her people watching, vaguely noting Harry talking to the Prefect Percy about teachers.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Cassie giggled, but she was one of the few who did.

"He's not serious?" she heard Harry muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere — the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Cassie could see that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot,

just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Cassie was so tired she felt almost like she was sleepwalking. She was too tired to even notice that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Cassie was just wondering how much farther they could possibly have to go when all of a sudden the person in front of her came to a stop and she bumped straight into then, breaking back out of her sleepwalky trance.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves — show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it — Neville needed a leg up — and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase — they were obviously in one of the towers — they found their beds at last: each girl had a four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they all located their trunks, pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.

Cassie wondered sleepily if she should introduce herself to any of the other girls in her house, but decided against it... after all, there would be plenty of time for that in the morning.


End file.
